Did you see Hume, last night?
A study of the three broadcast network evening news programs indicates John McCain’s media fortunes have taken a dramatic turn south since early January. The Center for Media and Public Affairs says the percentage of McCain coverage it deemed positive was 46 percent from mid-December through mid-February. But look at the contrast between his 97 percent positive number before the New Hampshire primary on January eighth – and just 30 percent positive since.
Meanwhile, Barack Obama’s overwhelmingly positive coverage has slipped a bit. Between mid-December and mid-February, Obama received 84 percent positive coverage. Hillary Clinton got 53 percent positive. But since Super Tuesday in early February, Obama’s good press number is 67 percent. Clinton has dropped slightly to 50.
Breaking down coverage by network – ABC and CBS gave Obama 90 percent positive coverage – NBC 73 percent. For Clinton – ABC had 68 percent positive, CBS 50 percent, and only 38 percent on NBC.
And so here we have the vindication of my statements on the matter a few months ago. The press, for all it’s glad handing of McCain in the early going, was never going to stay on once the train left the station. It’s called “Manipulation”.
Tags: Barack Obama, BO, Clinton, Hillary Clinton, John McCain, McCain, Men, negative press, Obama, primary, South, Super Tuesday, UN
